Utilization, Satisfaction, and Self-Reported Barriers to Obtaining Health Services: Voices of Community Residents through HealthStreet, a Community-Based Site

HealthStreet is a community-based site at the University of Florida which works to reduce health disparities within the community. Assessing community members’ health problems and concerns from their own perspectives, participants are referred to medical and social services plus opportunities to participate in research, thereby building trust in the community through collaboration and bi-directional communication. To promote community engagement, HealthStreet cultivates partnerships with community organizations, provides participants referrals to these organizations, and elicits community feedback on use and satisfaction with services obtained. This analysis reports on utilization, satisfaction, and barriers to obtaining services among community members provided referrals January through December 2013.

HealthStreet reached 901 participants with 2,673 referrals for a 30 day follow-up, among 1,267 persons eligible. 118 (13.1%) respondents reported utilizing 171 services, with 92% reporting being satisfied with one or more of the services obtained. Among 783 respondents not obtaining a service, top reasons included a personal reason such as not needing the service yet, using another option, forgetting, or not calling (55%), structural barriers including not having time or transportation (25%), encountering agency related barriers (5%), and having an upcoming appointment (2%).

The results of this analysis show that efforts to engage the community in health promoting activities can be highly successful, with a large majority of community members satisfied with the increased access to services through referrals provided.  A minority reported structural obstacles and may require additional efforts to overcome those barriers. While few universities engage community members directly, such methods may provide substantial value.